Subversions of Gender and Power in Oba Minako's "Yamamba no Bisho"Subversions of Gender and Power in Oba Minako's "Yamamba no Bisho"AN00038441Subversions of Gender and Power in Oba Minako's "Yamamba no Bisho"

Beginning as early as Genji Monogatari and continuing to the present, women writers have had a significant impact on Japanese canon. Their perspectives present a critical view of the social structure and its effects on the lives of women, both in fiction and in factual biographical accounts. This essay posits that many female authors from modern Japan defied gender stereotypes and wrote about the difficulties that women faced. To illustrate this point further, Oba Minako (1930-2007) is introduced as an exemplary author who succeeded in her career despite many potential obstacles. Oba's writing combines imagery of women's power in the literary tradition as well as motifs from Japanese mythology to express a deep-seated anxiety with regard to the individuation process. Her short story "Yamamba no Bisho" examines this theme from the perspective of a psychic witch haunted by her supernatural abilities. Through an analysis of this story, the author will theorize that these abilities embody women's dual desire to both conform to the existing power structure and to reject it.Beginning as early as Genji Monogatari and continuing to the present, women writers have had a significant impact on Japanese canon. Their perspectives present a critical view of the social structure and its effects on the lives of women, both in fiction and in factual biographical accounts. This essay posits that many female authors from modern Japan defied gender stereotypes and wrote about the difficulties that women faced. To illustrate this point further, Oba Minako (1930-2007) is introduced as an exemplary author who succeeded in her career despite many potential obstacles. Oba's writing combines imagery of women's power in the literary tradition as well as motifs from Japanese mythology to express a deep-seated anxiety with regard to the individuation process. Her short story "Yamamba no Bisho" examines this theme from the perspective of a psychic witch haunted by her supernatural abilities. Through an analysis of this story, the author will theorize that these abilities embody women's dual desire to both conform to the existing power structure and to reject it.